Newfound Friends
by TaylorGibbs
Summary: After the case, Gibbs comes home to some company. Tag to Sea Dog, Gibbs/DiNozzo pre-slash. Third in the Julia Knows Best series.


Gibbs opened his front door, voices floating out toward him.

"And then he scaled the fence like he was twenty years old! I was in the car watching. You wouldn't have believed it."

"Did he?"

Gibbs hung his jacket up, tossing his keys on the table. What the hell was DiNozzo doing here? Julia he expected, she'd mentioned something about feeding him dinner. But DiNozzo?

"Your apartment is fine. What're you doing here?" Gibbs asked, walking into the kitchen and resting his hands on Julia's shoulders.

"Oh…hey, Boss." Tony didn't even look uncomfortable.

"Hey," Gibbs shot back sarcastically. "Gonna answer my question?"

"Was invited." Now Tony looked smug,

"Jethro, be reasonable. You had such a late night last night and if you and I had burgers on the road, what did Tony have?"

"Cold pizza."

Gibbs shot him a look. "Well, I did, Boss. Didn't know you were going back down to Urban Lights or I would have tagged along. Julia shouldn't have had to drive you."

"It was okay," she assured, wide smile on her face. "Jethro and I do some of our best talking on car rides." She nudged him with a hip. "Now that the case is over and you guys have filled reams of paperwork, I'm cooking for the both of you. I would have invited the new girl as well, but I didn't know her name."

Gibbs couldn't help the small smile that played over his face. "Her name is Caitlin…Kate. Beer." he said, directing the final word at DiNozzo.

"Sure, I'll take one, Boss."

"Wasn't asking if ya wanted one. Get me a beer." He paused, watching Tony's expression fall. "And one for yourself. Julia drinks wine, so she'll pass." He turned his attention to Julia now. "How'd you find out how to get hold of DiNozzo, Julia?"

"You have him programmed into your phone. I copied the number last week when you guys were with the little boy. By the way, he and his mom are going on a two-day promotional cruise my agency has planned."

"They are?" Gibbs' face lit up. "That's…nice." He reached out as Tony handed him an icy cold beer and Julia busted around and poured herself a glass of wine.

While the food cooked, the threesome drifted into the den and Gibbs watched as Tony and Julia spoke. He didn't have much to add and was shocked to see how comfortable this was. He'd never socialized extensively with his agents outside work. Sometimes Tom Morrow would invite him to a poker game, aware that Gibbs' poker face was legendary. And he spent some off-hours time with Ducky, Abby when she needed him, which wasn't often. But as much as he'd gotten along with his agents, he couldn't remember having one over as much as DiNozzo. Langer probably came closest but even he'd only been over once or twice. Tony had been over that much in a couple of weeks.

"Boss?" Gibbs looked up from his contemplation to realize Tony had been trying to get his attention.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?"

"You have any ice cream? Julia and I are dying for some for dessert. I can run out before the food is done."

Gibbs shook his head. The last three cases had happened rapid fire and his fridge was depleted.

"Okay, Butter pecan for the old man and chocolate chunk for us. Be back in a few." With that, Tony headed out.

Julia wrapped an arm around Gibbs' waist, sitting in silence for a while, Gibbs trying to clear his mind and relax. When Julia spoke, it startled him.

"Any progress there? He has such a crush on you."

"He does not," Gibbs tried to protest.

"Oh yes he does. Before you came in, all he could talk about was you climbing a chain link fence, and you going toe to toe with members of other agencies and something 'hardcore' that happened in autopsy concerning a grill of some sort. He can't stop talking about you, Jethro. And you should see your face when you talk about him. I know you haven't done dreamy or romantic in a long while, but you get that way. I haven't seen it since—"

"Julia, don't!"

"Jethro, I wasn't going to say what you thought I was. But I remember when you and Stephanie first married, before you went to Moscow. You seemed softer. Tony brings that out in you."

"Tony is as hetero as they come. He's a flirt. You should have seen him wanting to question some girls. He was salivating. Anyway, I'm hetero too. I was married…" This had to be one of the most bizarre conversations he'd ever had. Julia had danced around the subject yesterday before Gibbs had feigned that he couldn't hear her over the rush of wind while the convertible top was down.

"Four times," Julia finished for him. "And I haven't seen that expression since Stephanie before all of that Moscow nonsense ruined it. I know you, Jethro. I've known you since you were eighteen years old. And I know that Tony does something for you that you're not willing to address yet. Just make sure you do it some day. Every day is precious."

"I know."

She snuggled in closer now. "Don't let this one go. It could be your last shot…and I don't want you to be alone."

He pulled back, ready to answer, when Tony came pounding back in, two half gallons of ice cream swinging from a plastic grocery bag. As Gibbs watched Tony follow Julia out to get the table set, he found himself checking out Tony's ass.

Julia had given him a hell of a lot of food for thought.


End file.
